A couple of weeks ago, a certain Carmen Snipes predicted that beer brand Cains was “death proof” because of a priceless (and free) endorsement from a certain Quentin Tarantino.

But it seems Snipes’ poison pen is jinxed, and not even Mr Pulp Fiction can overcome the life-draining energy of Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs.

Cains, a Liverpool-based brewer employing 1,000 people, has been served a death warrant in the form of a huge tax bill, and HMRC is threatening to wind up the company unless it hands over the goods quick-smart.

Talking to the BBC, Sudarghara Dusanj, chief executive of the 160-year-old brewer – which runs 100 pubs across the UK, said: "It is a very serious situation. We are in talks with our bank to try to borrow the money.

He added: "These past six months have been the worst in living memory for the brewery trade. The credit crunch and a tough period for the retail industry are causing everyone problems.

"This is our first bit of trouble in the six years since we bought the company and we are hoping we can get through it."

Dusanj plans to secure a bank loan to pay the tax man and is reportedly confident that the company will survive. We sincerely hope so.

If Cains is a good as Tarantino says it is, the company’s closure would be a big loss to the nation's taste buds – as well as its economy.

Rating

By Brian Chernett  on   Jul 29,2008

Add a comment  |  Add a rating  |  Email to a friend

Keywords

tarantino    Cains    pubs    brewing    leisure industry    economy   

Comments